Potential of elites in consolidation of public opinion in eastern and western approaches
https://doi.org/10.21453/2311-3065-2024-12-3-150-162
Abstract
The authors proceed from the classical understanding of the elite as a social group endowed with power and capable of influencing public opinion. The paper represents the examination of the role of elites – political, economic and social – in the formation of public ideas, values and political attitudes. The problem is conditioned, on the one hand, by the intensification of geopolitical confrontation and the formation of polar ideological concepts on both sides of the ocean, on the other hand – by the dynamic change in characteristics of media environment, which lead to increased centrifugal processes and polarization of public opinion on current events, values and ideology. The authors take into account the widely accepted hypothesis of relative homogeneity of elites (Huntington, Sklair) in the sense that cultural differences and stereotypes influence decision-making in this environment the least. This assumption became the starting point in choosing the topic, predetermined the search for possible points of contact in building a public dialogue, and, in general, served as the basis for a conceptual assessment of the ability of elites to resolve insurmountable contradictions between different segments of the political media space. The authors identified similarities and differences in the understanding of the social and political role of elites in the East and West and proposed possible routes for the development of dialogue. The study is based on the works of the classics of the theory of elites, as well as on modern research in the field of social communication and media.
About the Authors
N. V. Kirillina
Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Kirillina Natalia Vladimirovna – CandSc (Soc.), assoc. professor at the Department of Public Relations and Media Policy, Faculty of Journalism
119571, Moscow, Vernadsky av., 84
M. A. Rodionov
Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA); Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Rodionov Mikhail Aleksandrovich – DSc (Military), Professor, Professor of the Faculty of National Security; Professor
119571, Moscow, Vernadsky av., 82/1
T. A. Volkova
Leader Management Company
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Volkova Tatyana Aleksandrovna – Head of the Department of Legal Support
117556, Moscow, Simferopolsky blv., 13
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For citations:
Kirillina N.V., Rodionov M.A., Volkova T.A. Potential of elites in consolidation of public opinion in eastern and western approaches. Communicology. 2024;12(3):150-162. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21453/2311-3065-2024-12-3-150-162
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